Car-coupling.



N0. 782,107. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. M. J. CARTER;

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED 1130.10, 1904.

2 BHEBTSSHEBT 1.

PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

M. J. CARTER.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLIUATION FILED DEO.10, 1904.

ZSHEETS-SHEET 2.

luwnl oz Patented February 7, 1905.

FFICE.

MARTIN J. CARTER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,107, dated February '7, 1905.

Application filed December 10, 1904. Serial No. 236,386.

To (1.7% 10710112, it may concern.-

Beitknown that l, MARTIN J. CAR'IEILH. citi- Zenof the United States. residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in car-couplings ot the Janney type and of that class which are provided with pivoted vertical latches for locking the knuckle in its holding position.

It has for its object the provision of a device in which the tongue of the knucklcbears against the end of the latch when the coupling .is locked in such a manner as to prevent the accidental raising of the latch and at the same time will not bind and hold the latch when the releasing mechanism is operated, no matter how great the strain might be on the knuckle; one in which the thrust of the tongue on the end of the latch will be taken up by the body of the draw-head and not by the pin that pivots the latch to the draw-head, so that the pin will not be liable to be broken by the strain on thelatch; one in which the bearing-surfacesof the tongue and latch are so shaped as to reduce the friction to a minimum when the tongue engages with the latch to raise the same. and one in which the latch cannot be bent backward toward the rear wall of the draw-head by the pressure exerted upon the end of the latch by the tongue.

It also has for its object the provision of a device that of simple and cheap construction and at the same time etlicicnt in its purpose.

The invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, such as will be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, Figurel is a plan view of a coupling embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1). Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is a detail perspective view showing the latch.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation,

transverse sectional view of the coupling, showing it mounted on the end of a car and provided with mechanism for raising the latch different t'rom thatshown in the former views. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view on the line 7 T of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail view, showing the pivotal connection between one of the bell-cranks and the yoke for raising the latch.

The d raw-head lhas substantially the same construction as those in ordinary use of the type mentioned. Pivoted to the forward edge of one side of the d raw-head is the knuckle 2, provided with the tongue 3. The rear face & of the tongue is curved to lit the interior wall of the draw-hezulwhen the tongue is turned back into a locked position. The under side 5 of the tongue Hat and moves clear of the door of the draw-head when the knuckle is rotated. The front face 6 of the tongue is also tlat and forms an acute angle with the under side 5. The top face 7 of the tongue gradually slopes downwardly from the body of the knuckle outwardly and is rounded both longitiulinally and transversely to give a smooth and even cam-surface.

In the upper part of the wall of the drawhead on the side opposite to that on which the knuckle is hinged is the opening 8. Immediately back of the opening is the lug 9, and in front of the opening is a recess in which is seated the nut 10, with a part of the casing of the draw-hezul intervening. Through the lug 9 and the intervening part of the casing are horizontal openings in line with the screwthreaded opening of the nut. In the opening 8 is placed one end of the latch 11, and through an opening in said end and the openings in the lug 9 and the. intervening part of the casing passes the pin 12 and pivots the latch, so that it can be moved in a vertical plane. Should the screw-tln'earls of the nut become worn, it can be readily replacedby a new one, and thereby the cutting of new threads in the draw-head is avoided. The latch has a shoulder I3 near its pivoted end that abuts the wall of the draw-head adjacent to the opening 8 when the latch is in a lowered position to engage with the end of the tongue 3. This shoulder takes up all the partly in section, of the knuckle. Fig. 6 is a i thrustand strain exerted upon the end of the latch by the tongue 3 when the coupling is in l in an upright position should the lug 16 be operation. The pin 12 serves no part in taking up the strain and only serves to retain the latch in place, and consequently is not liable to be broken by the strain brought to bear on the latch.

The under face 14 of the latch 11 is concave longitudinally and convex transversely and forms a bearing-surface for the cam-surface 7 of the tongue 3 when the latter is turned inwardly to raise the latch. When these two faces engage, a smooth and even contact is insured, and the wearing away of the opposing parts by friction is reduced to a minimum. Also the movement of the latch will be easy and regular.

The face 15 on the free end of the latch is fiat and its front edge is at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the latch. Toward its rear edge the face is inclined away from the pivoted end of the latch. This face and the front face 6 of the tongue register with each other when the latch is in place to lock the tongue in a holding position. The inclination of the two faces is such that the latch will drop freely into place and also will readily leave the tongue without binding when raised to unlock the coupling. No matter how great the strain may be on the end of the latch, as the tongue moves horizontally below the pivotal point of the latch there can be no cramping of the latch to prevent its upward movement.

On the rear side of the latch is the lug 16, with its inner end in aposition to contact with the rear wall of the draw-head should the latch be forced backward, and thereby prevents the latch from being bent. Owing to the inclination of the engaging faces of the tongue and latch toward their inner edges away from the pivoted end of the latch, there is a slight tendency of the latch to be forced backward. This is prevented by the lug 16.

Means are provided for raising the latch to free the tongue to permit the disengagement of the couplings. On the top of the drawhead are pivoted the levers 17, with their inner ends connected by the link 18 with the latch. The hinge connection between the levers and link is a sliding one to permit free play of the connected parts. The outer ends of the levers extend to the sides of the car and can be operated to raise the latch without any one going between the cars. This operative mechanism is shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 another form of operating mechanism is shown. In this instance bellcranks 19 are pivoted to the under side of the draw-head and at their inner ends are respectively hinged to the lower ends of the shanks of the yokes 20 with a sliding connection. The yokes project into the draw-head beneath the lug 16. By raising the yokes the latch raised clear of either of them by the ears 21,

; couplings come together, the knuckles are turned inwardly and their respective tongues raise their latches. After the tongues pass beneath the latches the latter drop into place and lock the knuckles in their closed positions. When it is desired to uncouple. the

knuckles are unlocked by raising the latches.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-coupling, a draw-head, a latch pivoted at one end in the upper part of one side of said draw-head and extending diagonally across the mouth of the draw-head when in a lowered position and having its frontface incurved longitudinally and rounded transversely to form a cam-surface and provided at its free end with an engaging face with its front edge at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the latch and inclined toward its rear edge away from the pivotal axis of the latch, a knuckle pivoted to said draw-head on the side opposite to that on which said latch is pivoted, and a tongue on said knuckle movable below the axis of said latch and having a cam-face to engage with the cam-surface of said latch and provided with an inclined engaging face to registerwith the engaging face on the free end of the latch.

2. In a car-coupling, a draw-head, a latch pivoted at one end in the upper part of said draw-head to one side of the same and extending across the mouth of the draw-head and having a cam-surface on its front face and provided at its free end with an engaging face with its front edge at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the latch and inclined toward its rear edge away from the pivotal axis of the latch, a knuckle pivoted to said draw-head on the side opposite to that on which said latch is pivoted, and a tongue on said knuckle movable below the pivotal axis of said latch and having a cam-face to engage with the cam-surface of said latch and provded with an inclined. engaging face to register with the engaging face on the free end of the latch.

3. In a car-coupling, a draw-head having an opening in the upper part of a side of the same and provided with a recess adjacent to said opening, a latch with an end placed in said opening and extending diagonally across the mouth of the draw-head when in a lowered position, a nut in said recess, a pin engaging with said nut and passing through said opencan be elevated to release the tongue of the ing and the adjacent walls of the draw-head to knuckle for uncoupling. The yokes are held I pivot the end of the latch in said opening, a

shoulder on said latch adjacent to its pivoted end for engaging with the wall of the drawhead when the latch is in a lowered position, a knuckle pivoted to said draw-head on the side opposite to that on which said latch is pivoted, and a tongue on said knuckle for raising said latch when turned inwardly and engaged by the free end of the latch to hold the same in a locked position.

4. In a car-coupling, a draw-head, a latch pivoted at one end in the upper part of said draw-headto one side of the same and extending across the mouth of the draw-head, a lug on the rear side of said latch to bear against the wall of the draw-head should the latch be moved inwardly, a knuckle pivoted to said d raw-head on the side opposite to that on which said latch is pivoted. and a tongue on said knuckle for raising said latch when turned inwardly and provided with an inclined face to engage with the free end of said latch.

5. In a car-coupling, a draw-head, a latch pivoted at one end in the upper part of said draw-head to one side of the same and extending across the mouth of the draw-head. a lug on the rear side of said latch to bear against the wall of the draw-head should the latch be moved inwardly, a knuckle pivoted to said draw-head on the side opposite to that on which said latch is pivoted, a tongue on said knuckle for raising said latch when turned inwardly and provided with an inclined face to engage with the free end of the latch, a bell-crank pivoted to said draw-head, a yoke hinged to said bell-crank and engaging with said lug on the rear face of the latch, and means for oscillating said bell-crank to reciprocate said yoke to raise said latch.

In testimony whereof I aflix my'signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN J. CARTER. lVitnesses:

GRANT BURROUGHS, FRANoIs S. MAGUIRE. 

